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Chianti Classico 2020 & 2019: New releases

Michaela Morris tastes the latest Chianti Classico 2020 & 2019 wines. Read her report plus tasting notes for 58 wines below.

The annata category represents approximately two-thirds of the Chianti Classico production and it has much to offer – from some of Italy’s best value, everyday drinking wines to some of the denomination’s top examples – such as Isole e Olena and Istine’s single-vineyard bottlings.


Scroll down to see tasting notes and scores for the top Chianti Classico 2020 plus late releases from 2019 & 2018


The annual anteprime tasting typically takes place in mid-February, but with the rise of the Omicron variant last winter it was postponed by over a month to the end of March. During this period, many estates bottle their latest annata (which require a minimum of one year of ageing before release) in preparation for the Vinitaly trade show in Verona.

That delay of just a few weeks meant that there were more finished samples than usual. Between the many charming 2020 and numerous exciting late releases from 2019, it was hard to narrow down my recommendations.

I included a trio of 2018s not to be missed – from Le Cinciole, Val delle Corti and Castell’in Villa.


Michaela’s top picks of Chianti Classico 2020 plus late releases from 2019 & 2018

See all 100 of Michaela’s Chianti Classico tasting notes & scores from her reports


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